[:"green"] <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinkerg.gif" alt="" />Since there is a lot of confusion <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nixweiss.gif" alt="" /> about whether just out-of-pouch joeys are male or female, I decided to post this thread so that everyone can immediately tell...

Males have a little pom-pom on their belly that is their scrotum. Females have a little slit on their belly that is their pouch.

I will attach two pictures of my joeys. The first one is my little boy - he came o.o.p. on January 9th, so he is now 9 days old. In the picture, you can clearly see his pom-pom. Please note that the little thing extending from his cloaca (the urinary/colon/reproductive tract opening) is not a penis <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />. It is actually part of the cloaca and it is used by the parents to stimulate urination & defication <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumb.gif" alt="" />. As the joey gets older, it slowly starts to disappear (as will be evident in the picture of my little girl, who is 4 days older than him). <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />I hope that these pictures and information will help everyone who has had difficulty with this. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

[:"green"]Now, this is the picture of my little girl. You can clearly see her pouch & if you look closely, you can see the extension from her cloaca - it is much shorter than the little boy's...She came o.o.p. on January 5th, so she is 13 days old.

I agree this is a great post!! We also have this listed in our Off site info drop box at the top of this thread/board it's under BMXgirl's anatomy pages. Thanks again and great photos..!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

I was really just addressing "newborn" joeys in this thread, but... As far as neutered males are concerned, it varies... Most vets remove the pom-poms entirely so there would be nothing on the belly other than the cloaca. However, some vets leave the pom-poms intact and just remove the testicles from the sac, so the glider still "looks like a boy". Hope this helps...